Vignettes * Tired?

Breakfast Conversation, Part I:

K: Edward, Aunt Kati's coming tomorrow!

E: No, he's not coming.

K Yes, she is coming!

E: No, I don't think she's coming.

K: Why are we even having this conversation?

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Breakfast Conversation, Part II:

K, taking down the June calendar, and putting up July: Look, Edward, it's July!

E: July!

K: Your birthday's in July!

E: [giggles]

K: And my birthday's in July!

E: [giggles louder]: Oh! Let's have two Julys!

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Closing the door as Joseph left for work, Edward peeked out and called some parting wisdom: "Bye, Daddy! Don't step on any bugs!"

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Robert's favorite household chore is sorting laundry -- or, more accurately, resorting laundry. While I sort laundry into various piles -- lights, darks, warm wash, cold wash, hogwash, etc., -- Robert resorts it. Grabbing a pair of shorts from one pile, he will walk to another pile (preferably a basket filled with clean clothes fresh from the dryer or line), drop it, and shout "taint-too!" ("Thank you!") I have to be careful whenever I do laundry: today I almost threw a clean diaper in the washer. Thank you, indeed, Robskers: thank you.

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The green car has been vibrating quite worrisomely for the past week whenever we've driven over 40mph. We naturally (?) thought that this was somehow connected to the repair job done on our green car after the hit-and-run it suffered a few weeks ago. After taking a look at the car, however, the mechanic identified a rather more serious problem: the tread of our back-right tire had begun peeling off, leaving the tube inside exposed. I don't know whether that description makes any sense, but he told us it was something of a miracle we'd been able to drive the car in to the shop, let alone all around town for a week. (Thank you, guardian angels!)

Anyhoo, today I took the boys with me to track down a replacement -- the mechanic said we really didn't want to pay what he'd charge us for a new tire, which was nice (I guess?), in an awkwardly honest sort of way. We found a suitable (and much cheaper!) match after a long wait in line at Sam's Club. The boys didn't mind, since they were given free cookies while they waited, and Edward was able to watch half of a movie on one of the extra-large flatscreen televisions on display. (Something about a giant woman with flying shoes and monster friends? Maybe if we'd had sound, too, it would have made more sense. Maybe.)

We dropped the tire off -- though not before the boys had a lot of fun rolling it around the waiting room, and I, for one, am sincerely hopeful that this adventure marks the last of our car troubles for the year. [Knocks on wood.] We simply cannot afford another one. We couldn't afford this one.

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Preparing for Kati's arrival, Edward and I had fun washing off the patio -- a time-honored summer tradition that consists of overturning a bucketful of water on the concrete and sweeping it over the side. I'm not sure how effective this is by way of cleaning, but it's a lot of fun.

Robert was not so happy about the vacuuming I gave his room, though. He cried each time I turned on the vacuum, and sat on the mattress holding his blanket and (when he wasn't crying) sucking his thumb. That's probably a sad commentary on how infrequently I vacuum more than anything else, I reckon. At any rate, his room is now vacuumed and thoroughly rearranged -- with not one but two beds, so that Edward can bunk in with him during Kati's stay. (Kati will have Edward's room.)

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Also preparing for Kati's arrival, we bought a loaf of artisan cheese bread. Kati will not be expected to live grain free. The problem with this, of course, is that we now have a loaf of Asiago cheese bread in the house.

And some fresh-from-the-garden, CSA heirloom tomatoes. And some perfectly ripe avocadoes. Not to mention homemade mustard-and-roasted-pepper mayonnaise.

So, um... I made Kati a divine-looking sandwich for when she comes tomorrow. Kati? If you're reading this, it may or may not be waiting here for you.

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The mechanic met me at the door of the auto shop with the key to the car: he didn't charge us anything for changing the tire. (Seriously: thank you!)

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Edward, after a half-hour on the potty, was glad to be off it at last. Washing his hands, he turned to me and said: "I can fly like Buzz Lightyear."

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Edward insisted on sleeping on the "new" bed in Robert's room. And by "sleeping," I mean that the two rascals are in the room now, giggling and laughing and certainly not sleeping. Sigh.

We're finally ready for Aunt Kati to arrive tomorrow -- but I'm not placing any bets on how well rested we'll be when she gets here.